


A vampire with a soul and a former half-demon

by Bl4ckHunter



Category: Angel: the Series, Charmed (TV 1998)
Genre: Brooding, Contemplation, One-Shot, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:50:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26560159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: One-shot story. While brooding over the love of his life and his choices, Cole crosses paths with the demonic cabal and a vampire with a soul in Los Angeles.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	A vampire with a soul and a former half-demon

**Author's Note:**

> I've been contemplating doing a crossover between Charmed (the original WB series from 1998-2006, not the CW reboot) and Buffyverse and somehow it occurred to me I could use Cole. I do realize that timeline wise, it's inconsistent, but just bear with it. This takes place during Angel Season 1 and as for Charmed Season 5, this takes place post-5x02. Now, Cole is among my favorite characters and his anti-villain role in Season 5 was interesting, and I was glad that he redeemed himself to an extent in 7x16 and the follow-up comic books and considering the writing in Seasons 4-5, Cole was better off as a villain. I can understand both sides, with Cole genuinely trying to redeem himself and make amends with the Halliwell sisters after his actions in Season 4 and I can understand why the Halliwell sisters, especially Phoebe, wouldn't trust him anymore, even more, considering his rather morally ambiguous methods, when he tried to help them and his obsession with Phoebe and her constant rejection of him was at that point pathetic and it was no wonder that he was driven mad with his obsession with Phoebe until they vanquished him for good and he was trapped in a cosmic void between life or death forever as a punishment for his sins.
> 
> I can easily see Cole trying to move on instead and regress to his old ways as Belthazor but that's not exactly what I'm going to do here.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or Buffyverse.

Cole was in a strip club reserved for demons as he coldly stabbed one of the strippers, who had shapeshifted into his old flame Phoebe. She had made it clear that he was nothing to her at this point, considering what he had done and the sisters', Leo's and Darryl's constant rejection of him, and despite his genuine desire to be better and prove himself to the Halliwell sisters, the toll of the constant usage of his demonic powers became too much for him, driving him to using morally ambiguous methods, like murdering the slumlord, who threatened to expose Phoebe.

He knew that at this point, Phoebe and the sisters were done with him, despite that he meant well and wanted to earn their trust again and possibly make Phoebe fall in love with him again, he knew he had gone too far and contemplated, whether there was any redemption for him. He couldn't be the man she would love but he wanted to prove himself show that he was not evil anymore.

Maybe, if he would stop using his powers, maybe, there was still hope for him. He knew he wasn't fully human due to him possessing so many demonic powers, but he wanted to be better. Maybe, he wouldn't have to return to the Demonic Wasteland, once he died but he would find some peace in afterlife, like how the Halliwells' mother and grandmother had.

* * *

"…my client had resigned by then and therefore, Mr. Elkins had no claim over his assets anymore." Cole said to the judge.

"Your Honor, I'd like to point out that—" The other attorney started.

"No, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Turner has mentioned compelling points and after some consideration, we have decided that the building stays in Miss Patterson's possession." The judge said.

"Your Honor—" Lindsey McDonald attempted to protest.

"Case closed." The judge banged the gavel and Lindsey sighed before shooting a glare at Cole. He was a very skilled attorney and didn't like to lose, which didn't happen very often as he narrowed his eyes at Cole. He was good, Lindsey had to give him that, but there were other methods the Senior Partners could use.

* * *

"Patterson has a good lawyer." Lindsey said as he entered Manners's office.

"Whoever he is, he's no match for us." Manners said.

"Our client is getting very impatient, they need their nest on Patterson's ground." Lindsey said.

"Then we'll have to use other means. You know what I mean. Leave no witnesses." Manners smirked and Lindsey nodded.

* * *

"Miss Patterson, I think we've presented a strong case." Cole said as he sat down across Patterson in her apartment as she offered him dinner as a token of gratitude, which Cole found impolite to decline.

"Thank you, Mr. Turner, I couldn't have done this without you. These people have good lawyers. They work for Wolfram & Hart." Patterson said and Cole stiffened.

"Did you say 'Wolfram & Hart'?" Cole asked.

"Yes. You know them?" Patterson asked and Cole felt the hair on the back of his head stand up.

"Miss Patterson, we need to leave, now." Cole said as he got up and grabbed Patterson by her arm.

"Why? What's going on?" Patterson asked.

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here before—" Cole stopped, when a pair of demons burst in with axes and swords and crossbows. "Get down!"

Cole tackled Patterson to the ground as one of the demons fired from his crossbow and Patterson fainted upon hitting the floor. Cole got up and summoned a fireball and threw it, incinerating one of the demons.

"What are you? A warlock?" The second demon asked.

"Not quite." Cole smirked and summoned another fireball but the demon dodged and jumped out of the window. He expected an easy mark, not a magical bodyguard.

The demon climbed up the rooftop before Angel tackled him to the ground. They both exchanged blows before Angel and the demon were thrown away from each other as Cole teleported above and lifted the demon into the air.

"Tell the Senior Partners to leave me and my clients alone. I didn't come here looking for a fight. But if they come after me, they'll get one. They should remember what I did to the Triad." Cole said before throwing the demon to the opposite rooftop.

Angel had gotten up to his feet in the meantime and looked at Cole, sneering at him in disgust and Cole turned to face Angel, having a similar sneer on his face.

"Belthazor." Angel hissed.

"Angelus." Cole growled.

"Not anymore." Angel said. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"I could say the same about you." Cole said.

Angel pulled out a knife. "Give me a reason not to kill you, Belthazor."

"That's not who I am anymore. It's just 'Cole' now." Cole said before they heard sirens. "You may want to leave before the police will have some uncomfortable questions."

Angel glared at Cole. As much as he was on Kate's good side for now, he knew that involving her into this would be getting herself in over her head.

"I didn't come here to hurt any innocent, Angel. I'm trying to be better." Cole pleaded as he saw Angel's conflicted look and Angel could see in Cole the similar struggle he had been going through.

"I'm watching you." Angel said before he walked away.

* * *

"You must be very brave or very foolish to face us." Manners said as the demon returned into his office.

"You do realize that the price of failing to fulfill the contract is death." Lindsey said.

"I do realize that but I've met a setback." The demon said.

"A vampire with a soul?" Lilah asked.

"No. Someone else. Belthazor. He's alive." The demon revealed and while the name didn't as much as ring a bell to Lindsey or Lilah, Manners narrowed his eyes.

"Well, then, that changes things." Manners said.

Lindsey frowned, looking confused as he turned to Manners. "Who is Belthazor?"

* * *

"'Demonic Soldier of Fortune. Has murdered countless of witches, innocents and demons, a cunning being, who is not to be trusted and there is no known way of defeating him, due to him possessing a vast amount of powers.'" Wesley read from one of the Council's files.

"I hadn't seen him for decades. I thought he was dead. I heard that he had been vanquished by the Charmed Ones, a trio of powerful witches fighting for the side of good few months ago in San Francisco." Angel said.

Cordelia frowned. "Either they miscalculated or this Balthazar—"

"Belthazor." Angel corrected.

"…is simply a cockroach. You try to squish the bug, he manages to run." Cordelia finished.

"The cockroach thing may not be that far off the stretch, Cordelia. I spoke with one of my friends in the Watcher's Council. According to them, Belthazor tried to fight at the Charmed Ones's sides for a time but then he became the Source of All Evil, so they were forced to vanquish him few months ago." Wesley said.

"How is he still alive, then?" Cordelia wondered.

"I'm not sure." Angel said, brooding.

"You're more broody than usual, Angel. What's going on?" Cordelia asked.

"He didn't want to kill the woman. That look in his eyes…" Angel considered. "I don't know. He seemed… conflicted. I wonder if I looked like that after I got my soul. He seemed to be meaning well. I can't tell, since I can't see my own reflection in the mirror."

"You're saying we may have a good demon here? Can demons have a soul?" Cordelia asked.

"No. Theoretically, it's not possible. And I'm not sure if there is a spell that would curse a demon with a soul." Wesley said.

"Demons can't. But half-demons can have a soul." Angel said.

"Like Doyle?" Cordelia questioned.

"I heard that the reason why Belthazor was such an efficient murderer was because one of his parents was a human, so he could easily learn the ways of human and blend in." Angel said. "But he didn't want to kill anyone but he was defending himself."

"So you think he's a good guy?" Cordelia asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Angel said.

"I'll see if I can reach out to the Watcher's Council, maybe they know what has Belthazor been up to recently." Wesley said.

* * *

Cole was in his apartment, sitting and drinking as he looked at the photo of himself and his old flame, Phoebe. She and the Charmed Ones had made it clear he was not welcome anymore, after what he had done to them and how he betrayed them, despite that he was genuinely trying to change. They wanted to trust him, but were worried that even though he was human now, him possessing demonic powers was a risk they couldn't take.

Maybe he couldn't be with Phoebe anymore and he knew that if he died, this time, it might be permanent, but maybe, if he could atone for some of his sins, maybe he would find some peace in the afterlife this time. Phoebe and Cole still loved each other, but Phoebe made it clear that it couldn't happen between them anymore after what they had been through.

But Wolfram and Hart… that changed things. If he were still the Source of All Evil, he would be able to match the Senior Partners, but since he was human now, but possessing an arsenal of demonic powers, he dreaded the idea of being a puppet of another cabal of demons. All he wanted now, was to live in peace, but if he was on the Wolf, Ram and Hart's radar, it would be a matter of time before they would send their minions after him, either to recruit him to their cause, or destroy him because of him being a possible threat to their plans. Either way, Cole didn't care at this point. All he wanted was to find some peace in life, if not love.

"I've heard you've softened, Belthazor… if that's who you still are."

Cole growled as he got up and turned around to face an elderly man.

"I should introduce myself, I am—"

"Holland Manners, I know who you are and who are you working for. If you want to kill me, I dare you to try." Cole said.

"No. Actually, I'd like to make you an offer on the behalf of the Senior Partners." Manners said.

"I'm not interested. I'm not trading one cabal of demons for another." Cole said.

"You do realize you cannot fight us. We are legion. We are eternal and if you refuse us, the Senior Partners will hunt you down and we're more powerful than the Triad or the Source. Our reach goes beyond this realm. Imagine the power we could give you, if you joined us. We can make sure Phoebe stays at your side." Manners said.

"She's made it clear she said 'no.'" Cole said as he got up and poured himself a drink. "And I'm not interested in your otherworldly squabbles either."

"Well… shame. Guess we'll have to do this a little differently." Manners shrugged.

A group of demons entered but Cole did a gesture of his hand and burned them all to ashes.

"More will come." Manners said. "But we can offer you a place among the Senior Partners."

Cole considered as Manners left.

A few hours later, someone knocked on Cole's door. "Come in."

Angel opened the door and faced Cole. "Well, it's been a long time, Cole. I've been catching up with what you've been doing. Belthazor. Human. The Source of All Evil. Return from the dead, rising from the Demonic Wasteland and stealing demonic powers."

"You've come to bore me with your lecturing or kill me?" Cole said indifferently.

"I know why you're doing this all. For Phoebe." Angel said and Cole stiffened. "You want my advice? Don't try to be good to impress others, since it only makes you look selfish. Try to be better for the sake of being better."

"What makes you think there's any redemption for me after what I did?" Cole pointed out.

"You don't know that until you try. But don't fight for yourself. Fight for others. Now, don't get me wrong, you will never forgive yourself for what you've done. You need to accept it and own up to it. But that doesn't have to be the end of it. They may never accept you despite your efforts, but the least you owe them is to make sure that what you've done to them, no one else will, but don't do this for your own sake but for theirs." Angel said as Cole considered before Angel left.

Sometime later, a group of vampires attacked Cole as a retribution from the Senior Partners but Cole again burned them to death with a gesture of his hand as he considered. Joining Wolfram & Hart was a tempting offer but he didn't trust the Senior Partners and didn't want to trade one cabal of evil omnipotent beings for another. Helping innocents like how Angel does it? Tempting, but part of him knew that it would be more about him, rather than the fight and he knew that not even a vampire with a soul or the Charmed Ones would trust him, considering that they all saw through him and knew his ulterior motive, everything he did, was in a foolish vain hope to win Phoebe back, despite her rejecting him for good. But perhaps he could find some peace, if he tried to at least atone for his sins. Maybe that's how he could win Phoebe back, by never stop trying to be better.

**Author's Note:**

> A summary to those not familiar with Charmed, Cole was formerly a half-demon assassin Belthazor, who had fallen in love with his target, Phoebe and he ultimately tried to change and even defied his superiors, the Triad and vanquished them and later the Source of All Evil, but the Source's essence later possessed Cole, who became corrupted by it and later impregnated Phoebe with his demonic child, corrupting her for a time too, with her also becoming the Queen of the Underworld, ruling at Cole's side but ultimately chose her sisters over Cole after finding out he killed an innocent and they vanquished Cole and the child disappeared for good but Cole managed to return from the Demonic Wasteland (basically a hell where demons go after their death) and collected powers of various demons in vain hopes of winning Phoebe back but basically it was similar to what happened to Willow in Season 6, with Cole's powers taking their toll on him and him doing rather morally ambiguous things to help the Charmed Ones, such as murdering a slumlord, who found out that Phoebe had powers and intended to expose her before Cole killed him and his rather morally ambiguous methods that were about trying to help the sisters and win Phoebe back forced the sisters' hand and they attempted to vanquish him but then they realized that this was all his attempt at suicide after Phoebe's constant rejection but due to the powers he had absorbed, he had become invincible and it all drove Cole insane before he was approached by the Avatars.
> 
> For those who are not familiar with Charmed, Avatars are basically omnipotent beings similar to The Powers That Be and Senior Partners but they are not explicitly good like The Powers That Be or evil like Senior Partners but neutral. The Avatars offered Cole to join them, who are basically a group of omnipotent magical beings who can even warp the reality, space and time itself, whose ultimate goal was to create a perfect utopia that happened later after Cole's demise, although the cost was that the inhabitants lost all free will and they were eventually forced to undo the Utopia, when the Charmed Ones defied them, when they realized the cost of the Utopia. Cole joined them and used their reality-bending abilities to change history and be with Phoebe by changing one very pivotal event to the main characters that would have changed everything but it didn't work, since they were unhappy in that reality together as well and Cole's obsession with Phoebe inevitably became his downfall, when Phoebe and her sisters vanquished him for good, fixing the reality in the process and Cole was condemned to spend an eternity forever in a cosmic void between life and death, becoming a ghost unable to interact with anyone living, something like with Cordelia on her birthday, but it was Cole's punishment for his sins and I'm imagining Senior Partners making Cole the same offer with the events happening the same way that ultimately become Cole's downfall.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed this one-shot.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


End file.
